You never know when it will be your turn to choose a skilled nursing facility for your loved one.

It’s been two years ago this November since I had to make that decision. It came out of the blue. There was no planning for it. You can’t plan cardiac events or car accidents. It is so much better to know in advance how to pick one than to try to do it when you are in the middle of an emergency. If you are in the middle of the emergency and reading this, I am so sorry. I hope this post will help you decide how to get the best care for your loved one.

So, how did I pick the skilled nursing facility (formerly called nursing homes) my father ended up in? First of all, I went straight to facebook (any social media outlet) and asked all my friends their opinions of the ones in my area. From this, I picked the three I wanted to tour and went to tour them. One of the facilities I just did not have a good feeling about it. I can’t even tell you why really. It was just a gut feeling. Needless to say we didn’t choose this one. Three weeks after my dad was in his skilled nursing facility that other one was shut down by the state. Talk about a close call! Always, I mean always, go with your instinct.

After advice from friends and then touring the facilities, I had in mind which one I wanted. As I was on my way to the parking lot of the chosen skilled home I stopped a couple to ask them some questions. I asked if they had someone at this facility, how long had they been there, were they happy with the care, was their family member happy with the care and would they choose this facility again? I got affirmations on them all and my dad was sent there a few days later. My dad was in this facility about three months before he was released into my care for a few weeks and finally back to his home. He hated the reason for being there. But he was very happy with our choice. He loved his nurses and the nursing assistants and even the care he received. It is such a relief after having to find somewhere to place my dad that he was well taken care of and happy. It makes me feel so good to know that I had picked the right skilled nursing facility.

Later you deal with the grief of the crisis! But for now we get on with the living of life.

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